This email serves to officially THANK the Comrades Marathon Association for yet another successful year of fundraising, awareness and partnership.
Wildlands Conservation Trust was one of the first official charities (Amabeadibeadi charities) adopted by the Comrades Marathon Association back in 2000, and we are proud to announce that in 2014 we benefitted in excess of R500 000 through our association with the ultimate human race.
Upon entering for Comrades, runners are given the opportunity to donate to an Amabeadibeadi charity of their choice. The generosity of the Comrades participants blows us away every year – and this year we received R83 475.00 in total from entry donations.
The Comrades Marathon Association has always been driven by the need to give back to the marginalised and underprivileged through Amabeadibeadi. One of the platforms used to do just this is the Race4Charity (R4C) drive. There are 1000 reserved entries for the R4C runners, who need to raise R5 000 to qualify – but once they do, they are placed in a special seeding batch near the front of the START on race day. This year the R4C drive (through the commitment of 44 runners) brought in just over R177 000 for our conservation efforts.
Wildlands also took part in the Comrades Expo from the 29th – 31st of May at the Durban Exhibition Centre. A range of exciting T-shirts and Babygro’s were sold raising R70 970 towards Wildlands’ Rhino Conservation and “Trees for Life” Projects. Rhino Ambassador for the trust, Patrick Lambie, Sharks flyhalf and Springbok rugby player, also made an appearance which added a buzz to the Wildlands stand with adoring fans gathering to have their picture taken with the celebrity (at a small cost donated to a worthy cause of course!).
In addition to these activities at the Exhibition, the “Big Five Hills” Campaign was launched. This campaign relies on the sales of beautiful watercolour paintings depicting Polly Shortts, Inchanga, Bothas Hill, Fields Hill and Cowies Hill. Each print has been individually signed by one of five legendary Comrades winners and a total of 35 prints were sold at the Comrades expo to the value of R105 000. The funds raised are split between Wildlands and the Magqubu Ntombela Memorial Foundation (founded by Dr Ian Player) for our collective Rhino Conservation efforts.
One individual that touched the hearts of many on race day was Robert Le Brun also dubbed the ‘Rhino Man’. He ran the grueling 89km in a rhino suit for Wildlands and raised over R10 000.00. “The Comrades experience was out of this world,” said Le Brun. “I have never received so much attention and support from people, with some shouting ‘save the rhino’ and ‘rhinoman’ as an act of support. It was an honour to run for Wildlands,” comments a proud Robert.
Wildlands had a refreshment station again this year which was set up near Drummond. Our presence along the route was two fold in that we were responsible for handing out refreshments to thousands of runners, as well as collecting and recycling all the waste from the start of the race to our refreshment station, 45km’s from the start. The recycling team collected 14 336kg over the 45km route; far exceeding last year’s 6160kg collected over a 30km radius.
Wildlands are very grateful for the partnership we have with Comrades and we hope to assist them in one day reaching their goal of being recognised as the “greenest” of the South African marathons.
“The Comrades Marathon Association has played an integral part in the growth of Wildlands,” said Wildlands’ CEO Dr Andrew Venter. “Not only have they assisted us in fundraising for the amazing work that we do across the country, they have helped bring sustainability to the forefront of people’s minds and have allowed us the privilege of ‘being the change’ and inspiring others to do the same.”
Visit www.comrades.com for more information.
WILDTRUST (registered as the Wildlands Conservation Trust - IT No: 4329/1991/PMB)